St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-07
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
An Abstract of the Report Presented
by Mr.. Garland.
VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.
Civil and Criminal Suits Either Pend.
ing or Disposed of---United
States Prisoners.

report OF Attorney General Garland
was transmitted to congress to-day. 1t
gives a full account of the business of
the department of justice during the
last fiscal year, together with statistics
of crime against the United States. The
number of ordinary suits now pending
in the court of claims is LILO, involving
the sum of S14, 100000. The number OF
cases filed under the Bowman act is
1879, involving about S50,000,00O. The
petitions filed in the French spOliatiOn
cases number $3.50, representing 2,4S6
vessels and about 100000. The
mo unit reported in favor of claimants
in eighty-one of these eases passed upon
is about s425, 600, varying i'll sums from
S66 to S45,31S. During the last fiscal
year LIT civil suits were
terminated. In 922 of these judgments
were for the United States, in luz for
the defendants, and 704 were either mol
pressed. dismissed or discontinued; 81
were appealed from the district to the
circuit court, and "A from the circuit
court to the supreme court. There
were pending July 4,054 civil suits in
which the United States was party.
During the year there were 1897
criminal prosecutions, mostly for viola
ton of customs and internal revenue
laws. The aggregate amount OF ludg-
mentS rendered in favor of the United
States in civil suits during the last year
was Sl.O51, $50, and the amount
actually collected Oh these judgments
was Sl52,55S, while S19,67S was OBJ
tanned during the year OH Judgments
rendered in former years for the United
States, and $240,299 was otherwise real
lied in civil courts. The attorney gen
eral calls attention to the suggestions
and recommendations made by him in
his last annual report in regard to mat
tiers calling for remedial lie yislatiOn, and
again urges the necessity of immediate
action thereon. These subjects are as
follows: Fees of marshais in the terri
tories, pay of deputy marshalS, revision
of the fee bill, substitution of the fiscal
for the calendar year, protection TO civil
officers and witnesses, fees of witnesses
and jurors, criminal procedure, perjury
and laws, and jurieS i'll the District OF
Columbia. In a chapter in regard to the
confinement and treatment of
UNITED STATES PRISONERS,
the attorney general says he is now
more than ever convinced of the abSO-
lutte need of government penitentiary
and refOrmatOry. He says that the cost
Vi cO1luuCtlHS government pChllCh-
tiary will not be greater eventually than
the cost of subsisting the prisoners in
the various penitentiarieS throughout
the country will be. He advocates the
appointment of a commissioner to in
auire into the ACCESSIBILITY of building
government penitentiary aud reform
atory, and SAYS that it would seem
that the United States should have
model prisons and reformatOrleS OF
its own in which to confine
its criminals, in which provision could
be made for the employment of the in
mates at some suitable industries on a
system of labor which would not VIC
late the recent act of congress nor be
inconsistent with the laws passed by
the several states and the prevailing
opinion relative to the subject of con-
tract labor. The attorney general calls
attention. also, to the necessity for adj
ditiOnal legislation for restoring and
preserving court records. and makes an
urgent appeal in behalf of certain
changes in the judicial system of the
country. Tn the latter subject he says:
1T is impossible to Overestimate the ne
cesSity that exists for change
in the judicial system to
meet the demand of the constantly
increasing business of the country
and l would simply call attention. in this
connection, to my suggestions In the
last report, and respectfully urge that
some change be made that will remedy
the evils complained of on all sides,
whether that change be in accordance
with my views or not" The attorney
general urges an appropriation for the
erection on the ground adjacent to the
department of justice suitable build
ing for the accommodation of the SUI
preme court and other courts and COM
missiOners of the United States. He
also asks that in order to compliment
men who have been conspicuous in the
public service, congress provide for fur
niShing portraits of the Judges of the
supreme court to adorn the chamber of
that court. Attention is also invited to
the necessity OF
EXTENDING THE JURISDICTION
of the federal courts to crimes COM
mitted upon American vessels navig at
ing the great lakes and connecting
waters. Congress is urged to de fine
more particularly the jurisdiction of
commissioners of circuit courts, and
also to take some action for the settle
ment of outstanding claims of witnesses
and jurors for services during and prior
to the year 1885. The attorney general
says the increased expenses in the ser
vice Of process has been the experience
of the department since the passage of
the interest ate commerce bill. Prior to
the passage of that bill marshals
were furnished with free trans
portation over various lines of railroads
while in the service of process. Since
that date, however, no free transpOrta-
ton is furnished, and the railways
charge a mileage greater than the fee
allowed the marshal for his travel in
such service. The attorney general
urges reorganization of the department
of Justice in accordance with the in
creased amount and important character
of its business, and in closing his report
devOtes a chapter to the consideration
of the French spOliation act, in regard
to which he says:
"In order that the demands of justice
may be satisfactorily met, the antiquity
of the transactions, the difficulty of the
questions involved, suggests the neces-
sity of vIgilant, exhaustive judicial
investigation. l therefore recon-
mend the passage of an act amend
atory of the act of the Jan. 80, 1885,
which shall confer authority upon the
court of claims to render judgment In
cases provided for by the act instead of
reporting their cOnfusiOnS to congress
as now required to do, and to grant to
either party, the government or claim
ant, the right of appeal to the supreme
court of the United States from the de-
ciSiOn of the court of claims on suits
filed under the act of 1885. 1t is not
probable that either the government or
claimant will find it necessary to resort
to appeals in more than few cases, as,
in them, the question of novelty and
difficulty arising in this class of cases
would be adjudicated, but as the law
now stands, no appeal can be taken by
either party"
See Our ST.